THE OUTCOME OF WEEK 2 IS A PRIORITIZED LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES.

Transcription

1 Summation of the Week 1 discussions for CWANA. Overall, Week 1 was much slower than I expected, but I hope that the dialogue will pick up in Weeks 2 and 3. A number of panel members have not yet introduced themselves, and I expect that some Week 1 responses will be coming in on April 23rd. If that happens, I will try to handle it by treating the Week 1 summary (as did Howard Elliott for the SAA panel) as 'a working document that can be enriched with further ideas'. I would like to thank Lamia El Fattal, Ronnie Coffman, John Dodds, Kauser Malik, Alessandro Meschinelli, Margaret Catley-Carlson, Aboul Naga and A. Fardous for their contributions. I hope I did justice to the ideas and views of the above panel members. What is needed now for Week 2 is to focus on identifying emerging opportunities and threats to deal with the prioritized list of issues from Week 1(See the prioritized list at the end of this message). The emerging opportunities and threats include those: - in new developments in science - in new markets, new products, new institutions - in changes in the political economy - in new partnerships - in new initiatives by donors. THE OUTCOME OF WEEK 2 IS A PRIORITIZED LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES. To remind all readers: In Week 1 we were to discuss (1) changes in poverty: its causes, nature and dynamics, (2) new constraints on productivity in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and (3) new threats to sustainability of agro-ecosystems and their natural resource context, all of this being done to arrive at a prioritized list of challenges within the CGIAR mandate and comparative advantage. A. CONCERNING CHANGES IN POVERTY: In CWANA, an estimated 70% of the poverty is in rural areas, despite the fact that only 43% of the total population lives in rural areas. Rural poor suffer for lack of access to land, water, and other factors of production. Despite the large dependence of the rural population on agriculture, the region is experiencing a declining emphasis on agriculture and rural development, particularly in the most marginal areas (e.g., mountains and desert margins). Such decline is disturbing, especially since CWANA contains places that were the cradle of agriculture, but today lags well behind other regions in agricultural development and performance. (Moderator) It is crucial to understand poverty in a broader context than just income poverty. We should also understand poverty to mean a polluted and unhealthy environment and poor access to health care, a good education, and to social safety nets. According to the Arab Human Development Report, the status of women in CWANA lags severely behind men. Increased freedom and knowledge for women and their empowerment are needed. To reduce poverty, an 'empowerment through knowledge' perspective is needed, whereby disenfranchised and vulnerable people are placed squarely in the center of all research and development efforts that seek to enhance equity, efficiency, quality and sustainability. (Lamia El Fattal)

2 Poverty is about exclusion. People are excluded because of ethnicity, gender, geography, of living in societies without outreach, of poverty-producing habits transmitted intergenerationally. To alleviate poverty, one must put poor people at the center of the analysis and truly understand their exclusion, their issues, their potential, their constraints and their prospectives, and how they can become assets. (Margaret Catley-Carlson). Water poverty is widespread in CWANA, with 15 of the countries of the region already below the water 'poverty line' of less than 1,000 cubic meters/person/year. (Moderator) When water (or any other resource) is in short supply, the poor always get edged outward and downward. (M. Catley- Carlson). In a majority of the countries of CWANA, agriculture should not be viewed only as a means of food security, but should be viewed as an engine for economic growth, and different approaches should be adopted to achieve such economic growth. (Malik) Sustainable increases in production is the main way to reduce poverty, especially in rural areas. CGIAR and NARS collaboration should be strengthened as full partners in research, development and technology transfer. Research findings should be transferred to our target group, the poor farmers in rural areas, and NARS should play a larger role in transferring technology. CGIAR should move more to strategic research, and the NARS should support the CGIAR in seeking funds to support such research. Also, CGIAR should move more aggressively in regional research, with full commitment from the NARS. The private sector should play a more active role in research and development in CWANA, but the private sector in CWANA is different than in developed countries; in CWANA, the private sector can be involved in development, framing policies and inter-country trade, but they have not yet adopted the concept of investing in research. (Aboul Naga) High degradation levels of the resource base and harsh physical and economic environments in CWANA are likely to preclude any feasible increase in production. Clearly, technology alone will not be sufficient to induce income growth, let alone rural poverty alleviation, especially for those groups that do not have access to inputs. The focus should rather be placed on on-farm and off-farm diversification as a means to increase the options andincome-generating opportunities available to smallholders in less-favoured areas. (Meschinelli) A key research focus for the future will be to identify and promote "enabling environments" based on appropriate: i) price incentive mechanisms; ii) property and access rights arrangements; iii) pro-poor financial services; and iv) methodologies and processes for ensuring tighter research-extensioneducation linkages (the so-called "knowledge triangle") towards the true participation of all stakeholders in the generation of adapted technologies and approaches. (Meschinelli) Higher value horticultural crops might be attractive, improving both the incomes and nutrition of producers and perhaps the efficiency of water use. (Coffman) B. CONCERNING CONSTRAINTS ON PRODUCTIVITY: Although the CWANA region is relatively large and spreads over two continents, its arable lands constitute a small portion with very heterogeneous geography. CWANA is characterized by a diversified agricultural environment, of which a substantial proportion is classified as less-favored, where agricultural production is constrained significantly by moisture stress due to highly-variable rainfall, extreme temperatures, short cropping seasons, shallow soils, lack of infrastructure and socio-

3 economic factors. Because of land fragmentation, low crop production, and poor resources, agricultural intensification could be more feasible than diversification. (A. Fardous) Water: Supplies, Management, Allocation. The Panel identified water as the largest issue in CWANA. Because water is a major problem elsewhere, the Moderator thought some opening statements relating to water in the world would help to place in perspective the CWANA water situation. Thus some statements and facts were drawn from a 1999 IWMI Water Brief, by Seckler et al., entitled, Water Scarcity in the Twenty-First Century. 1. Some 1.4 billion people, more than one quarter of the world population (one-third of the population in developing countries) live in places that face or soon will face SEVERE WATER SCARCITY. Oe billion of these people live in arid regions that will face ABSOLUTE WATER SCARCITY by Some 350 million people now face SEVERE ECONOMIC WATER SCARCITY. Water scarcity leads to declining water quality and pollution and has an especially adverse impact on poor people. Many, probably most, of the poorest people in developing countries are forced to drink water that literally is unfit for human consumption. 2.. In semi-arid Asia and CWANA, groundwater tables are falling at an alarming rate. According to IWMI, the single greatest problem of water resources in the 21st Century is groundwater depletion and pollution. 3. Irrigation consumes or depletes over 70% of the total developed water supplies of the world, but it produces much of the world's food. There are ominous signs that major cereal yields may be stagnating in many of the highest, most productive areas of the world. Also, many irrigated lands are lost to urbanization, diversions of water from agriculture, and increasing salinity. Irrigation may have to play a proportionately greater role in meeting future food demands than it has in the past. In that regard, consider the following statement by (Seckler, et al. 1999).."The direct and indirect effects of the green revolution of irrigated land, as it should properly be called, has certainly been by far the greatest source of poverty reduction in Asia". 4. Most of the good rainfed lands in the world (and presumably CWANA) are either already being utilized, or the financial and environmental costs of developing them are prohibitive. Also, improving yields on marginal rainfed lands is slower and more difficult than on irrigated lands. Summary of the CWANA First Week Dialogue, regarding NEW CONSTRAINTS ON PRODUCTIVITY IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHERIES. WATER is the main issue, not only its scarcity, but also its utilization and management in all the countries of the region need to be critically evaluated and reviewed. Intermittent droughts in various countries demand development of mitigating technologies and commensurate strategies (Malik). The per person availability of water in CWANA has dropped dramatically. (M. Catley-Carlson). We need to think about water on two fronts - researching 'water supply management' and researching 'water demand management', not only on farms but on a broader political, legal and institutional level. (El Fattal). The CWANA region faces severe and growing challenges due to the rapidly-growing demand for water. New sources of water are increasingly expensive to exploit, limiting the potential for expansion

4 of new water supplies. Water for irrigation, a prime source of agricultural growth, will likely have to be diverted to meet the needs of urban areas and domestic uses. Allocation of water to different uses and water resource management will be one of the most important economic and social issues of this new century. Water quality, new high value crops with low water consumption, new technologies and improving water-use efficiency are of great concern. (A. Fardous) Water is clearly one of the highest priorities. More strategic research is needed on water use, at the physiological level; on water use at the biotechnological level, and on provision of appropriate amounts of water to the plant. In addition, strategic research is needed on 'quantum jump' technologies, such as low-cost desalinization techniques, that could impact on water availability and cost. (Dodds). Water and its efficient utilization is the highest priority for CGIAR and NARS in CWANA. Strategic research is highly needed in this regard, and as John Dodds mentioned, we need quantum jumps in technology. We need to address productivity per unit of water rather than yield per unit of land, both in dry land and rainfed areas but also in irrigated areas. (Aboul Naga). Productivity per unit of water in irrigated areas can be improved by focusing on crop selection, fertilizer management, and crop management. Irrigation should be practiced according to crop water requirements, suitable scheduling of irrigation, and high efficiency of the irrigation system. Especially needed is on-farm water management - how and when to irrigate - as well as use of fertigation to improve productivity of agricultural land. (A. Fardous). In rainfed areas, productivity per unit of water can be improved by water harvesting, supplemental irrigation, soil and water conservation, suitable tillage (including zero till), suitable management of crop residues, and application of fertilizers. (A. Fardous) It is estimated that 80-90% of all water in CWANA is used for agriculture; thus, how can the CGIAR help in decisions regarding the allocations of water WITHIN agriculture, rather than helping in allocation decisions between agriculture and other uses? There are also important questions not only about water quantity, but also about water quality, because many water sources are so contaminated that they may be questionable for use in agriculture. (El Fattal). Water re-use is growing steadily in CWANA and needs attention. (M. Catley-Carlson). Water is the over-riding issue and problem, but research priorities should be re-oriented towards the revitalization of indigenous knowledge and socio-organizational arrangements/institutions regarding water resources management. Research to reduce costs through improved input use efficiency and less reliance on costly external inputs remains crucial. (Meschinelli) Genomic technologies will almost certainly permit the improvement of water use efficiency through breeding. This is only part of the solution, but it may be a part for which the CGIAR has a comparative advantage. Also, it is important to understand that water use efficiency has a genetic component that should be addressed as part of the breeding efforts. Crop improvement to produce robust, productive crop plants for arid lands remains the best strategy for research in CWANA, which, when coupled with improved water use efficiency, will make greatest and most sustainable gains. (Coffman).

5 The use of water harvesting techniques (macro and micro scales) can improve crop production, both in quantity and quality, together with supplemental irrigation. Water harvesting can also provide drinking water for livestock. Adopting suitable farming systems and management practices, including soil and water conservation techniques, are crucial factors to sustain dryland agriculture. New cropping systems and development of drought tolerant crops are crucial for dryland farming. (A. Fardous) Nomadic and semi-nomadic communities that base their livelihoods on livestock farming need to be included in our definition of 'farmers' in dry areas. A number of technologies exist that can make better use of rainfall: supplemental irrigation, tolerant crop types, water efficient cultivation techniques, rainfall harvesting, water collection systems in wadis, etc. We seem to have technical knowledge for all of these but know much less about political, legal, institutional and financial constraints to their adoption and use by farmers. (El Fattal). Mixed Farming: Integration of Crops and Livestock A neglected area in CWANA research is livestock and its integration with crops. If our target group is poor farmers, we must recognize that a good part of their income comes from livestock - they deal with integrated crop/livestock farming, yet we do not handle it this way in our research. Less efforts and resources are given to productivity of crop/livestock and rangeland/livestock production systems. Also, animal genetic resources activities lag well behind those of plant genetic resources. (Aboul Naga) Production Growth The main sources of production growth are production diversification and product differentiation. Under production diversification we can include new crops (medicinal, aromatic, spices) and under product differentiation, quality improvements through promotion of alternative production systems (organic agriculture coupled with labeling, for instance), product processing & marketing and better on-farm storage. (Meschinelli) CONCERNING THREATS TO SUSTAINABILITY: ARABLE LAND is limited in CWANA, estimated at 4% of the total land area, amounting to 0.22 ha per capita, and much of the arable land - some 45% of that which is irrigated or rainfed - being subject to land degradation, including erosion and salinity. Also, there is significant degradation of rangelands and steppes due to overgrazing and soil erosion; such lands are important in producing livestock products and in preserving the native flora and fauna. (Moderator) I believe climatic change is one of the first threats to the sustainability of agriculture production in CWANA. The other challenge is how to combat natural resources degradation and desertification, or simply better natural resource management. (Aboul Naga) Mismanagement of soil resources of CWANA has resulted in soil erosion, salinization and desertification. A general decline in soil fertility has been observed, due primarily to a decline in soil organic matter, which in turn is the result of wrong agronomic practices. (Malik). Research is needed in biodiversity conservation & use, land tenure and share cropping arrangements. (Meschinelli).

6 Research can help in conservation of natural resources and the environment through: 1. Organizing research based on an integrated inter-disciplinary approach anchored in field experimentation that addresses pertinent problems, with participation by researchers, rural entrepreneurs (farmers, foresters, etc.), trainers, extensionists, agro-industries; 2. Promotion of information and knowledge flows and training to improve priority setting and decision-making, capacity building and integration at local, regional and global scale; 3.. Development and dissemination of sustainable, profitable cropping systems and alternative practices generated and adapted to address the needs of a range of target groups, including the poorest farmers; 4.. Providing information concerning research projects or all stakeholders (farmers, researchers, trainers, policy and decision makers, the private sector, etc.) concerning opportunities, technical performance and the socio-economic and environmental impacts. (A. Fardous) Prioritized List for CWANA (as a result of the Week 1 dialogue).(as Summarized by the Moderator, to the best of his ability) I. Poverty 1.. To alleviate poverty, poor people must be put at the center of the analysis to understand their exclusion, their issues, their potential, their constraints and their perspectives, and how they can become assets. 2.. Sustainable increases in production is the main way to reduce poverty, especially in rural areas. II. Water and its Management, Allocation, etc. 1.. Water and its efficient utilization is the highest priority for CGIAR and NARS in CWANA. Strategic research is highly needed in this regard. 2.. Crop improvement to produce robust, productive crop plants for arid lands remains the best strategy for research in CWANA, which, when coupled with improved water use efficiency, will make greatest and most sustainable gains. 3.. Water use efficiency, particularly productivity per unit of water, is of high priority. 4.. Genomic technologies will almost certainly permit the improvement of water use efficiency and development of more drought-resistant plants through breeding. This is only part of the solution, but it may be a part for which the CGIAR has a comparative advantage. 5.. In rainfed areas, productivity per unit of water can be improved by water harvesting, supplemental irrigation, soil and water conservation, suitable tillage (including zero till), suitable management of crop residues, and application of fertilizers. Water-efficient cultivation techniques are much needed.

7 6.. Allocation of water for agriculture/non-agricultural uses almost certainly will become more of a problem in CWANA, the most water-scarce region in the world. III.. Mixed Farming: Integration of Crops and Livestock 1.. Livestock and its integration with crops has been neglected in CWANA research, despite the fact that many poor farmers derive a good part of their income from livestock. 2.. Less efforts and resources are given to productivity of crop/livestock and rangeland/livestock production systems. IV. Genetic Resources 1.. CWANA is a center of diversity for many crops, including major cereals and grain legumes, hence plant genetic resources work should and does receive considerable attention. More could be done. 2.. Animal genetic resources lag well behind plant genetic resource work in CWANA, but animal genetic resources in the region are important and deserve attention. V.. Sustainability and Natural Resources. 1.. Arable land is limited in CWANA, and much of that land is subject to land degradation, including erosion and salinity. Range management needs attention, as it comprises a major land use in CWANA and its improvement could reduce land degradation substantially.